Five northern Butler County municipalities merit positive notice for their decision to create a multi-municipal plan. That plan would take stock of each municipality's infrastructure and growth goals and set guidelines for residential, commercial and industrial development.

The state also merits praise for providing a $50,000 grant to pay for the planning process.

The participating municipalities are Slippery Rock and West Liberty boroughs and Slippery Rock, Brady and Worth townships. Initial work regarding the plan already is under way.

"Instead of everybody having an individual approach, this is an opportunity for the five municipalities to have a central plan," said John Hines, Slippery Rock Township administrator and supervisor. "We can centralize it so it best fits the layout of the communities."

The united approach also is in line with the fact that the state and federal governments look kindly on joint municipal planning and projects. In this instance, the five municipalities will be able to set up commercial and industrial districts that cross municipal borders.

In addition, the joint planning will allow the municipalities to identify problems that they have in common and develop strategies for solving them.

The planning represents a win-win situation for all of the municipalities. Residents in those communities should be supportive of the effort.